Windows Vista makes it easy to store and work with your pictures using the Pictures folder. You can quickly access the folder from the Start menu. From the Pictures folder you can view, organize, and share pictures with others on the Internet. When you download and save pictures from your digital camera or scanner to your computer, Windows stores the digital images in the Pictures folder by default. (You can specify an alternative location.) You can view your picture files as a slide show or in the Extra-Large view, which displays a larger image above thumbnail images of the pictures. The Pictures folder also contains links to specialized picture tasks that help you share pictures with others, such as sending pictures in an e-mail, publishing pictures and documents on the Web, printing photographs, and ordering prints from the Internet. You can also create your own pictures or edit existing ones in Paint, a Windows accessory program designed for drawing and painting. Paint is useful for making simple changes to a picture, adding a text caption, or saving a picture in another file format.
Windows Vista introduces Windows Photo Gallery (New!), which allows you to view, locate, organize, open, and edit photos and pictures. Windows Photo Gallery shows all the pictures and videos located in the Pictures folder. In Windows Photo Gallery, you can also print photos, order photos through an online service, e-mail photos and pictures using your e-mail program, create CDs or DVDs, and make a movie using Windows Movie Maker.
Paint is a Windows accessory you can use to create and work with graphics or pictures. Paint is designed to create and edit bitmap (.bmp) files, but you can also open and save pictures created in or for other graphics programs and the Internet using several common file formats, such as .tiff, .gif, or .jpeg. A bitmap file is a map of a picture created from small black, white, or colored dots, or bits. Paint comes with a set of tools in the Toolbox (located along the left edge of the window) that you can use for drawing and manipulating pictures. A tool remains turned on until you select another tool in the Toolbox. In addition to the drawing tools, you can also add text to a picture. When you create a text box and type the text, you can edit and format it, but once you deselect the text box, the text becomes part of the picture, which you can’t edit.
Click the Start button, point to All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint.
If you want, drag a resize handle on the canvas to resize it.
Click a drawing tool.
If available, click a fill option for the selected tool.
Click the color you want to use with the left mouse button to select the foreground color and the right mouse button to select the background color.
Drag the shapes you want by holding down one of the following:The left mouse button to draw with the foreground color.
The right mouse button to draw with the background color.
The Shift key to constrain the drawing to a proportional size, such as a circle, square, or horizontal line.
- Click the Text tool.
- Drag a text box.
- Select the font, font size, and any formatting you want to apply to the text.
- Click in the text box, if necessary, and then type the text.
- Drag a text box resize handle to enlarge or reduce the text box.
Edit and format the text.
Click outside the text box to deselect it and change the text to a bitmap.
- In Paint, create or open the picture you want to save in a different format.
- Click the File menu, and then click Save As.
- Select the drive and folder in which you want to save the file.
- Type a name for the file, or use the suggested name.
- Click the Save as type list arrow, and then click a file format.
- Click Save.
After you create or open a picture, you can select all or part of the picture and use commands on the Image menu, such as rotate, stretch, and invert colors, to further modify it in Paint. In addition to the drawing tools, you can also use painting tools, such as Fill With Color, Airbrush, Brush, Pencil, and Pick Color, to transform the picture. The Fill With Color tool is useful if you want to color an entire item or recolor text letter by letter. If you need to remove part of a picture, you can use the Eraser tool, which comes in four different sizes.
- In Paint, create or open the picture you want to edit.
- Click the Free-Form Select tool to select irregular shapes, or click the Select tool to select rectangle shapes.
- Drag the selection area you want.
- Click the Opaque Background option or the Transparent Background option.
- Click the Image menu, and then click one of the following:
Flip/Rotate
Resize/Skew
Invert Colors
Attributes
- Click OK.
- Save the picture and exit Paint.
- In Paint, create or open the picture you want to edit.
- To magnify an area of the screen, click the Magnifier tool, and then click the area you want to magnify.
- Click the Eraser tool.
- Click the Eraser size.
- Drag the Eraser over the area you want to erase.
- If you make a mistake, click the Edit menu, and then click Undo to restore your last action.
- To restore the magnification, click the Magnifier tool, and then click the area again.
Windows gives you several ways to view pictures. In a folder with pictures, you can use Extra Large Icons view to see a larger view of the pictures. In the Pictures folder, you can use the slide show feature to display pictures in a full screen slide show. If you want to preview picture or open a picture to edit, you can double-click the file icon to use the default program associated with the picture file type, or select the specific program—such as Paint, Windows Photo Gallery, Microsoft Office Document Imaging, or Microsoft Office Picture Manager—you want to use to make changes.
- Click the Start button, and then click Pictures.
- To view sample pictures, double-click the Sample Pictures folder.
- Click a picture to view information about the picture in the Details pane.
- Click the Preview or Open button arrow, and then click the program you want to open the picture.
See Also
See “Understanding Faxes” on page 411 for information on working with faxes.
- Click the Start button, click Pictures, or open any other folder with pictures you want to view.
- Select the pictures you want in the show, or click one picture to see all the pictures.
- Click the Slide Show button, and then watch the show.
- To manually advance to the next slide, click anywhere in the picture.
- To control the slide show, right-click the screen, and then click the control you want, including Shuffle, Loop, or a Slide Show Speed (Slow, Medium, or Fast).
- To exit the slide show, press Esc or right-click the screen, and then click Exit.
Windows Photo Gallery (New!) is a program that allows you to view, locate, and edit pictures. Windows Photo Gallery shows all the pictures and videos located in the Pictures folder. However, you can add and view other folders on your computer. The left pane in Windows Photo Gallery displays a tree structure like the Folders list that allows you to display pictures by different criteria, including Pictures, Recently Imported, Tags, Date Taken, Ratings, and Folders. To help you sort and search for pictures, you can add tags, ratings, and captions to pictures. The Search box used in all Explorer windows is also available. You can also use the View button next to the Search box to change the icon thumbnail views, view a table of contents, or display groups and sorts.
- Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Photo Gallery.
- To change the view, click the View button, and then select a view: Thumbnails, Thumbnails with Text, Tiles, Group By, Sort By, or Table of Contents.
- Use the tree structure in the left pane to view the pictures:
Pictures or videos. Under All Pictures and Videos, click Pictures or Videos.
Imported Pictures. Under Recently Imported, click Recent Imports.
Tags. Under Tags, click the tag you want to sort by.
Date. Under Date Taken, click the date you want to sort by.
Ratings. Under Ratings, click the rating you want to sort by.
Folders. Under Folders, click the picture related folder you want to display.
- Use the controls at the bottom of the window to change the display size, play slide show, delete pictures, and rotate pictures.
- Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Photo Gallery.
- Select the photo you want to add tags, a rating, or a caption.
- Click the Info button on the toolbar.
- To add a tag, click Add Tags, type the tag you want, and then press Enter.
- To add a rating, click the rating star you want.
- To add a caption, click <Add Caption>, type the caption you want, and then press Enter.
- When you’re done, click the Close button in the Info pane.
If you need to edit a picture, you can use Windows Photo Gallery (New!) to adjust brightness, contrast, and color, and to remove red eye. You can also crop a picture. If the colors in a picture don’t look right, you can use Auto Adjust to enhance picture by changing the brightness (light), contrast (dark), color temperature, tint, or saturation. Color temperature allows you to make the colors warmer (red) or cooler (blue); tint modifies the color cast (add or remove green); and saturation changes color vividness. If you don’t like the changes made by Auto Adjust, you can use Adjust Color to change the individual color attributes.
- Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Photo Gallery.
- Select the photo you want to fix.
- Click the Fix button on the toolbar.
- Click Auto Adjust.
- To adjust brightness and contrast, click Adjust Exposure, and then drag the sliders.
- To adjust color temperature, tint, or saturation, click Adjust Color, and then drag the sliders.
- To crop a picture, click Crop Picture, select a proportion or drag a selection, and move the selection, and then click Apply.
- To fix red eye, click Fix Red Eye, and then drag a rectangle around the eye you want to fix.
If you don’t like the changes, click the Undo button arrow, and then select the options you want to undo or click Undo All.
When you’re done, click the Back To Gallery button.
If you have one or more photos, pictures, or documents that you want to share with others, you can send them in an e-mail as attachments. Before you send photos or pictures in an e-mail as an attachment, you typically need to resize them in a separate graphics program so your recipient can view them with minimal scrolling, open your e-mail program, and then attach the files. With Windows you can send a photo or picture in an e-mail message without having to resize it in a separate graphics program, or even open your e-mail program. Using the E-mail button on the toolbar in Windows Photo Gallery or any Explorer window, Windows simply asks how you want to size the photos and pictures, and then opens an e-mail message window with the attached files from your default e-mail program. All you need to do is address the message, add any message text, and then send it.
- In Windows Photo Gallery or an Explorer window, open the folder containing the picture or folder you want to e-mail.
- Select the pictures or a folder with pictures you want to e-mail.
- Click the E-mail button on the toolbar.
- Click the Picture size arrow, and then select the resolution size you want: Smaller: 640 × 480, Small: 800 × 600, Medium: 1024 × 768, Large: 1280 × 1024, or Original Size.
- Click Attach to open your e-mail program, displaying an e-mail message with a file attachment.
- Type an e-mail address.
- Click Send.
See Also
See “Sending and Retrieving a File” on page 180 for information on sending a file in an e-mail message.
Windows makes it easy to format and print photographs from Windows Photo Gallery, which allows you to print photographs. During the process, you can select the photo(s) to print, the paper type, and a page layout, such as full-page prints, contact-sheet prints, 4 × 6-inch prints, 5 × 7-inch prints, 8 × 10-inch prints, 3.5 × 5-inch prints, and wallet size prints. To print a photo from your computer, you need a color printer and special photo paper. In order to get the best results when you print photographs, set your printer resolution to the highest setting for the best quality output, and use high-quality glossy paper designed specifically for printing photographs. Check your printer documentation for the best resolution setting suited to print your photographs. When you print photographs with a high resolution setting, the printing process might take longer. Many printer manufacturers also make paper designed to work best with their printers; check your printer manufacturer’s Web site for more information.
- In Windows Photo Gallery or an Explorer window, open the folder containing the photo or folder you want to print.
- Select the photos you want to print.
- Click the Print button on the toolbar, and then click Print (in Windows Photo Gallery).
- Specify the printer options you want:
Click the Printer arrow, and then select a printer.
Click the Paper size arrow, and then select a paper size.
Click the Quality arrow, and then click a resolution.
- Select photo size you want.
- Specify the number of copies you want.
- Select or clear the Fit picture to frame check box.
- Click Print, and then follow any printer specify instructions.
If you have digital photographs taken from a digital camera or scanned into your computer, you can send your digital photographs to an online printing company where they create photo prints and send them to your mailing address. Windows makes the process easy from Windows Photo Gallery, which walks you through the ordering process. You’ll need to provide print sizes, quantities, and billing and shipping information to complete the order.
- In Windows Photo Gallery, open the folder containing the photo or folder you want to print.
- Select the photos you want to send to an online printing company.
- Click the Print button on the toolbar, and then click Order Prints.
- Select the printing company you want to send your photos.
- Click Send Pictures.
- If necessary, click Send.
- Follow the remaining steps to place an order with the specific printing company.
Windows makes it easy to install a scanner or digital camera on your computer using plug-and-play. In most cases, all you need to do is turn off your computer, plug in the hardware device, and restart your computer. Windows recognizes the new hardware and installs it. If for some reason Windows doesn’t recognize the hardware, you can start a wizard, which walks you through the installation process.
- Plug your scanner or camera into your computer to start the Scanner and Camera wizard.
If the wizard doesn’t open, click the Start button, click Control Panel, double-click the Scanners and Cameras icon, and then click Add Device.
- Click Next to continue.
- Click the manufacturer of the scanner or camera you want to install, click the device name, and then click Next to continue.
- Connect your device to your computer, select a port, and then click Next to continue.
- Type a name for the device, or use the suggested one, and then click Next to continue.
- Click Finish.
After you install a scanner or digital camera on your computer, it’s a good idea to test the hardware device to make sure it’s working properly. When you test a scanner or digital camera, Windows checks to see if the hardware device is communicating with the operating system.
- Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then double-click the Scanners and Cameras icon in Classic view.
- Select the scanner or camera icon you want to test.
- Click Properties.
- Click the General tab.
- Click Test Scanner or Test Camera.
A message appears with the results of the test.
- Click OK.
- Click OK.
- Click Close.
Did You Know?
You can remove a scanner. Click the Start button, click Control Panel, double-click the System icon in Classic view, click Device Manager in the left pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Imaging devices, select the scanner you want to remove, click the Uninstall button on the toolbar, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Windows Vista makes it easy to scan pictures with Windows Photo Gallery (New!) and Windows Fax and Scan (New!). A scanner is like a photocopy machine on which you can lay photographs, books, and other documents that you want to save in digital form on your computer. In addition to scanning photographs, many high resolution scanners also allow you to scan a negative from a film strip and enlarge it. You use Windows Photo Gallery to start the scanning process and store the scanned photo in the in Pictures folder. With Windows Fax and Scan, you can choose scanning preferences, such as picture type, resolution (the number of dots per inch (dpi), preview the scanned picture, adjust the scan area, and select a graphic format. In order to use the scanner features of Windows, you need to have a scanner attached and installed on your computer.
- Place the picture on the scanner.
- Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Photo Gallery.
- Click the File button, and then click Import from Camera or Scanner.
- Select the scanner you want to use.
- Click Import.
The New Scan dialog box from Windows Fax and Scan opens.
You can also access this dialog box from Windows Fax and Scan. Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Fax and Scan.
The default settings for scanning a document are automatically selected.
- Specify the options you want for the new scan. Some important ones include:
- Select or clear the Preview or scan images as separate files check box.
- To preview the scan, click Preview, and then make any adjustments you want before the final scan.
- Click Scan.
- Click the Tag these pictures (optional) list, type a tag name.
Click Import.A new Explorer window with todays date opens within the Pictures folder, displaying the scanned picture (NewSP1).
Did You Know?
You can change where Windows Photo Gallery stores scanned pictures. In Windows Photo Gallery, click the File button, click Options, click the Import tab, click the Settings for list, and then click Scanners. Click Browse next to the Import to list, and then select the location you want.
See Also
See “Installing a Scanner or Digital Camera” on page 246 for information on installing a scanner, and see “Testing a Scanner or Digital Camera” on page 247 for information on accessing scanner properties.
A digital still camera stores pictures digitally rather than on film. The major advantage of digital still cameras is that making photos is fast and inexpensive. In order to use the digital camera features of Windows, you need to have a digital still or video camera attached and installed on your computer. When you connect a digital camera to your computer, Windows Vista displays the AutoPlay dialog, where you can choose to import or view files in the Camera window. When you import pictures, the files are store and made available in Windows Photo Gallery. If you don’t use AutoPlay, you can also use an Import command in Windows Photo Gallery or the Camera window. You can use the Camera window available from the Computer window to view pictures that you have already taken with the camera and copy them in a folder on your computer, or delete pictures from your camera.
- Connect the digital camera to your computer, and follow instructions to install and recognize the camera.
- If the AutoPlay dialog box opens, click Import Pictures to import the pictures and complete the process.
If the AutoPlay dialog box doesn’t open, continue.
- Click the Start button, and then click Computer.
- Right-click the digital camera icon, and then click Import Pictures.
You can also click the Start button, point to All Programs, click Windows Photo Gallery, click the File button, and then click Import from Camera or Scanner.
- To change import settings, click the Options link, select the options you want, and then click OK.
- Click Import.
Windows Photo Gallery opens by default to display the pictures.
- If the AutoPlay dialog box opens, click Open this device to view files, and then skip to Step 4.
If the AutoPlay dialog box doesn’t open, continue.
- Click the Start button, and then click Computer, and then double-click the Camera icon associated with the digital camera.
- Double-click the removable storage icon, and any folders to display the pictures stored on the digital camera.
- Click a picture, and then perform any of the following commands:
Right-click a picture, and then click Preview to display the picture in Windows Photo Gallery.
Right-click a picture, and then click Open to display the picture the default program.
Click the Edit menu, click Copy to Folder, select a folder, and then click Copy.
Right-click a picture, and then click Delete.
Instead of using standard screen savers provided by Windows, you can use your own pictures to create a slide show screen saver. Windows displays all the pictures, which you have designated in a folder, to create as a full screen slide show. You can add or remove pictures from the folder to modify the slide show.
- If you want to create a custom folder for pictures, create a folder, and then place the pictures you want to use in the slide show in the folder.
- Right-click a blank area of the desktop, and then click Personalize.
- Click Screen Saver.
You can also click the File button in Windows Photo Gallery, and then click Screen Saver Setting to open this dialog box.
- Click the Screen Saver list, and then click Photos.
- Click Settings.
- Select the option to use pictures from the Photo Gallery or your own folder. If necessary, click Browse, select the folder with your pictures, and then click OK.
- Click the Slide Show speed list, and then select the speed you want.
- Click Save.
- Click Preview, and then click the mouse to stop it.
- Click OK.
Instead of using one of the pictures provided by Windows, you can select a picture on your hard disk or from a web page as the desktop background. You can use Paint or any graphics program to create new background designs or change existing ones. Acceptable formats for background files are Bitmap (the format of a Paint file), JPEG (the format of an Internet graphic file), or HTM (the format of a web page). After you set a picture as the desktop background, Windows adds the picture to the Background list on the Desktop tab in the Display Properties dialog box. When you use a picture from a web page, Windows saves it in the Background list as Internet Explorer Background. Each new picture from a web page you set as a background replaces the previous one.
- Open the folder or the Web page with the picture you want to set as the background.
- Right-click the picture.
- Click Set as Desktop Background for a picture file, or click Set as Background for a Web picture.
If the picture doesn’t appear on your desktop, continue.
- Right-click a blank area of the desktop, and then click Personalize.
- Click Desktop Background.
- Click the picture you set as the background.
- Click OK.
Windows Photo Gallery allows you to set general and import options. The general options allow you to show pictures and video previews in tooltips, specify how long to keep original photos that are fixed, and whether to get program update alerts. The import options allow you to specify import settings for cameras, CDs and DVDs, or Scanners. The import settings specify where Windows Photo Gallery import pictures based on date and tag criteria. As you specify settings, you can view an example of the criteria, so you can better determine if the import settings are what you want. In addition, you can set other options that allow you to rotate pictures, open Windows Photo Gallery, erase picture from the camera, or receive a prompt to add tags.
- Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Photo Gallery.
- Click the File button, and then click Options.
- Click the General tab, and then specify the options you want:
Tooltips. Select to show picture and video previews in tooltips.
Save original pictures. Select a delete option for original pictures.
Check for updates. Select to get update alerts.
- Click the Import tab, and then specify the options you want:
Settings for. Select Cameras, CDs and DVDs, or Scanners
Import to. Select a location.
Folder name. Select a folder criteria based on date and tag.
File name. Select an option to preserve tags and file names.
Other options. Select or clear the check boxes you want.
- Click OK.
